


to be part of a pride

by Mercia



Series: Femslash February 2019 [27]
Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Bisexual Gertrude Yorkes, F/F, Family Fluff, Femslash February, Fluff, Lesbian Karolina Dean, Pride, Pride Parades, Questioning, Questioning character, they left Old Lace at home i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 07:33:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17956271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercia/pseuds/Mercia
Summary: And when it had come to choosing flags, Nico had hesitated, and the helpful person at the stand had pointed her to the rainbow: the full spectrum of colours. Gert and Karolina had tied it over her shoulders, around her neck, and Molly had plucked a mini flag from the stand and stuck it in one of Nico's space buns.





	to be part of a pride

It had been Gert's idea, actually, to come to the parade. Nico hadn't been sure; she didn't like big, loud crowds, and their parents were still looking for them. But the others had pointed out that their parents were  _ always _ going to be looking for them, no matter what. So why not? They deserved a bit of fun. They deserved to experience something named Pride which was good.

And the way Karolina had lit up at the suggestion, how could she have said no?

It was sunny, and jam-packed full of people with glitter all over their faces and wide smiles, pop music mixed with a little alternative rock and indie played on loud speakers, all from presumably lgbtq artists or allies, food stands, people with balloon floats, banners from organisations raising the rainbow flag and charities. 

Nico kept an eye on the others at all times, unwilling to lose any of them in the masses, holding Karolina's hand tight in her own. 

And there were others just like them too, so many of them.

LA was certainly not terrible when it when to it, there'd been one or two LGBTYouth posters stuck up at school, and given the size of the parade there hadn't exactly been a lack of them, but the neighbourhood they had lived in — rich, conservative, comfortably upper middle class, it was was the sort of thing that became gossip or brushed under the rug. 

But here, Karolina was grinning so brightly, so happy, caught up in the energy of everyone, and Nico couldn't help but find it contagious. 

Alex, Chase and Molly had the word “Ally” crudely written on their foreheads with Nico's black lipstick, each sporting clothes with some variation of rainbow, holding little flags which were being given out for free. Gert had three stripes of eyeshadow on each cheek, pink, purple and blue, and was applying the same colours to her hair with cheaply bought kids hair-chalks from the dollar store. She was wearing the flag, flowing behind her like a cape.

And then there was her and Karolina. They looked like a bit of an odd couple but the best kind, they figured after several people passing by had given them enthusiastic high-fives. Karolina had fake flowers braided into her hair and a little plastic tiara, different shades of shimmery pink painted on her own cheeks, wearing the lesbian flag draped over her as well. She looked stunning and brilliant and,  _ God _ , Nico was  _ so _ gay. 

Or, well, something. She wasn't straight that was for sure. 

Nico had on her usual dark witch-y get up, all black and lace and mystery and dramatic eyeliner, perhaps even amplified a little, with the spirit of everything. And when it had come to choosing flags, Nico had hesitated, and the helpful person at the stand had pointed her to the rainbow: the full spectrum of colours. Gert and Karolina had tied it over her shoulders, around her neck, and Molly had plucked a mini flag from the stand and stuck it in one of Nico's space buns. 

“You alright?” asked Karolina, quickly checking over her again. “It's a bit loud, we can stand to the side a bit, if you want.”

Nico nodded quickly. She was definitely having fun, everyone was just so friendly, but it was getting a little too much. 

They sent a quick text to the others and sat down on a bench, Karolina's arm around Nico's waist, Nico resting her head on Karolina's shoulder. 

On the main road, the procession went on, all colours and noise, dance and music and laughter, and beautiful chaos. Chaos, disorder, freedom, variation, entropy, the natural state of the universe. All here, all celebrated. There were people kissing, people hugging, people raising their held hands in pride. There were teenagers like them; parents with t-shirts saying “I'm proud of my nonbinary child”, “I love my gay son”; even a few elderly couples, two old men, one pushing the other in a wheelchair, wearing “Just married!” t-shirts in hot pink. 

Nico turned her head and leaned up to kiss Karolina on the cheek, lips tugging up into a smile. 

Aside from at the Hostel, and stolen seconds in secret corners, alone on the abandoned stairway of the school at prom, they weren't usually ones for PDA. It wasn't that it wasn't exactly them, though it was really not, but doing it out in public could never not feel like a statement. And a statement was the last thing they wanted to make in their situation. 

But here, where their very presence was a declaration, it was normal; still a statement, but also an expression of love and needing and pride.

(Real pride.)

Karolina turned to face her and captured her lips in a proper kiss, soft and fierce. Nico melted inside a bit.

“I love you,” said Karolina, grinning, a blush dusting her cheeks heavily. “Thanks for having me.”

Nico laughed, throwing her head back, lost a little in the moment despite everything around them. “No, thank _you_ ,” she replied. “You're the best. I love you too.”

It felt like just them, for a few minutes. As though they were just normal kids going to a pride parade, girlfriend and girlfriend, together, the lesbian flag and the pride flag draped over both their shoulders. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked this one! i tried to channel a lot of my feeling from my first pride into it (although, i am and always have been, tragically single :/)
> 
> <3


End file.
